Photographer's Note

As many big cities, Barcelona consisted of various villages which the city absorbed little by little. The ancient Horta village , situated at the top of the city in the North East was washerwoman's village 100 years ago. The water which flows under the village is so clear and clean as it is possible to drink it by bringing out it from still present wells in the street of Aiguafreda. During three centuries, until the civil war, the washerwomen washed the linen at first in the very cold water then in the warm water. The water of the ow part of the city, where are situated the middle-class districts, contained a high rate of lime which damaged clothes.
The linen of the nobility and the bourgeoisie was collected on Monday between the via Laeitana and the street of the Council of Hundreds by young boys, then washed to Horta, and brought back on Fridays so that the upper middle class can dress its most beautiful attires the weekend.

This quite lane, framed by buildings, is the only testimony of this past. I saw many posters in this district denouncing the evictions and the property speculation. so, I am afraid that this district is threatened with destruction.
I would like to thank Josep, josepmarin Pilar and Carlos carlosmarin who offered us a book which they created (Pili, Josep’s wife, more particularly) and which lists all the streets of the community of Barcelona. Without this book, we would never have found this extraordinary place because this street is not indicated on plans.